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Dean Hall to finish Willamette River swim

Family and friends celebrated Gresham swimmer on Portland waterfront

Soaked by a muggy summer rain, friends and family swarmed swimmer Dean Hall as he stepped onto the Portland waterfront around 7 p.m. Wednesday after completing one of the last legs of his 184-mile swim.

Hall was followed in by his 79-year-old father, Dick Hall, who paddled alongside his son the entire way.

Among a handful of supporters hooting and hollering from the shoreline and waving Popsicle-stick hand signs donning Deans face was Halls daughter, Bre, his mother, Alice, friends from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and Willamette Riverkeepers executive director, Travis Williams.

But while smiling and hugging those around them, the 54-year-old Gresham man appeared calm and humbled rather than outwardly victorious.

Perhaps the river does have an effect on those who swim it.

Hall seems to enjoy swimming like no ones watching.

A media helicopter hovered above him as Hall made his way on a 2.5-mile swim from Willamette Park.

The river remained quiet as he passed under bridges noisy with traffic.

Stephen Cridland, a photographer inspired to document Halls swim, followed behind in his yacht, carrying an Outlook reporter.